artberg



' Dec. 27, 1927.

1,653,754 J. G. ARTBERG FUEL CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 21. 1925* 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

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Y J. G. ARTBERG FUEL CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION mamas 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Feb.

Patented Dec. 27, 1927'.

l,653,75tl

JOHN GUSTAF ARTBERG, OF SKARSATTRQL, SW'EDEN.

FUEL-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR Application filed February 21,1925, Serial "this invention refers to internal combustion engines and more especially to an improved. :tuel controlling device in such ongines for automobiles and the like and adapted to indicate when the fuel is nearly used up and refilling of fuel is needed.

Theinventi-on consists in combining with an auxiliary tank through which is passed the fuel supplied to the engine, a pneumatic conduit, a valve in said conduit, means in the tank for operating said valve when the fuel in said tank sinks below a predetermined level, and an electric switch operated by an alteration of the pressure in the pneumatic conduit and adapted to indicate such alteration.)

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown some embodiments of my invention. Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic sectional view of a vacuum tank for an automobile motor having as signalling means an electric switch in the ignitioncircuitot the motor. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a modification thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale and Fig. 4 is a plan of the valve casing in Fig. 2.

7 Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is a storage battery from which the ignition current is supplied in usual manner through an induction coil 2 and a distributor 3 to the igniters l of the engine cylinders. Connected to the circuit oi the battery is an automatic switch A comprising two stationary contact members 6, 7 and a movable member 8 adapted to connect the members 6, 7 and carried by a plunger 901* the like which is movable with but a little play within a cylinder 10. The cylinder 10 is by means of a conduit 11, 12 connected to a vacuum tank 13. Said tank is pe se of Well-known construction and contains a float 14, which by means of a lever 15, av link 16 and another lever 17 operates two valves 18, 19 of which the valve 18 controls a. conduit 20 to the atmosphere while the valve 19 controls a suction pipe 21 connected to the suction side of the motor by a pipe 22 in well-known manner. When the float during the normal operation has fallen to its lower-most position it closes the valve 18 and opens the valve 19 whereby the interior of the tank is connected to the suction pipe 21 and is evacuated. The fuel wvill thus be drawn up from the main tank through the pipe 23 until the float 14- has been raised up to its uppermost pos1t10n, when it closes the valve 19 and opens the EIITEENAL-COMIBUSTIDN ENGINES.

No. 19,824, and in sweden October 17, 1924.

valve 1, the vacuum in the tank 14 being thus removed. The fuel is delivered in usual manner through a pipe 24 to the car burettor oi the engine. The operation above described is the well-known operation of the vacuum tank.

The conduit 11, 12 is as shown in the drawing connected to a valve casing 25 secured to the cover of the vacuum tank, said casing having a ccnstant connection with the suction pipe 22 so that its interior is constantly under vacuum independently of the normal operation of the vacuum tank. Inserted in the valve casing 25 is a valve 26' the stem 2? of which is connected to the lever 1? and being of such length that the valve remains open during the movements 01 the lever 17 when the vacuum tank operates in normal manner. If, however, the fuel in the main tank has been used up the float 1 continues to tallbelow its normal lowermost position as the'luel in the auxiliary tank is consumed and in this continued fallthe valve 26 is operated in such manner that it shuts off the connection from the valve casing 25 to the pipe 12. The vacuum inthe cylinder 10 is then immediately removed by the leakage at the plunger 9 and said plunger with the contact member 8 falls down by gravity so that the battery circuit is interrupted and the motor stops. When the operator now finds that the motor stop was caused by the fuel in the main tank having been consumed the can by op'enin a valve 28 in a trench-pipe 29 put the cyfinder 10 in direct communication with the suction pipe 22 and thus operate the switch A so that thelatter again closes the battery circuit, then restart the motor and with the fuel still contained in the vacuum tank go to the next gasolene station.

For the branch-pipe 29 and the valve 28 a direct mechanical actuating of the contact member 8 can be used or a circuit having a hand-operated switch be provided as a shunt to the switch A. It is not necessary that the valve casing secured to the vacuum tank has connection with the suction pipe 22 of the vacuum tank but a separate suction or pressure conduit can be connected to the valve casing 25 and the cylinder 9 under the control of the valve 26. Instead of connecting the switch A in the ignition tact piece 8 falls down thus giving an audible or visible signal instead of or in addition to the motor stop.

The modification shown in Figs. 2 to 1 differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 essentially in that the valve operated by a float or the like in an auxiliary tank opens a connection to the open air from the pneumatic conduit whenthe ignition circuit of the motor shall be interrupted, said connection containing another valve which is normally held open by the normal operation of the float and which is adapted to be closed by manual actuation when the motor shall again be started.

. Referring to F igs. 2 to he valve casing 30 is secured to an auxiliary tank 31 adapted to be inserted in the. fuel supply conduit 32, 33 from the main tank and the usual vacuum tank of an automobile. Inserted in a longitudinal boring 3st in the spindle valve cas ing is a valve 35 the lower end of which is connected to a float 56 or other movable part whereby the valve is moved up and down in accordance with the raising and falling of the level of the fuel in the tank 31. About in the middle of the valve casing an enlargement or chamber 36 is provided to which a fine suction conduit 37 and another wider conduit 38 are connected. The conduit 37 is connected to the suction side of the motor or other device driven by the motor (not shown) in which vacuum or pres sure is maintained as long-as the'motor is running. The pipe 38 is connected toa pneumatically operated switch A provided in the battery circuit 5 in a similar manner to the switch A in Fig. 1. The upper end of the boring 3-1 forms a seat for a ball valve 39. of somewhat greater diameter than that of the boring. The chamber above the seat of the ball is in connection with the open airthrough a cover of wire gauze 40. An oblique boring ll of somewhat larger diameter than thatof the ball extends in an oblique downward direction from said chamber, said boring being adapted to take up the ball valvewhen it is pushed down from its seat by the spindle valve 35when the latter is in its uppermost position. To the lower end of the boring 41 a Bowden wire 42, a pneumatic tube with an india rubber ball or the like is connected by means of whichthe operator at will can push u the ball valve 39 from the lower. end 0 the boring 41 to its seat at the upper end of the boring 34:. In the lowerportion of the valve casing 30 a boring 43 is provided for the purpose of preventing any vacuum or pressure being propagated from the chamber 36 to the tank, or vice versa, along the valve 35 the latter being provided with a slight play in the boring 34: so that it can move with small friction in the boring.

The operation of the device shown in Figs.

2 to 4 is as follows. H designates the uppermost level to which the fuel level raises in the fuel tank 31 and in this case the float 56 raises the spindle valve 35 to such position that it pushes away the ball 39 from its seat down into the boring 41. L is the lowermost level to which the fuel sinks during normal supply of fuel to the tank 31. During normal supply of fuel to the tank the float is moved between said limits and the ball 39 is without fail pushed down into the boring 41 if it should be on the seat at the upper end of the boring 34. Said boring is accordingly during normal conditions iii-connection with the open air at its upper 8 end but the valve 35 closes the connection between the chamber 36 and the open air as long as the float is moved between the levels H and L only. "When however the fuel in the main tank has been consumed so that the fuel supply to the auxiliary tank 31 ceases the level of the fuel in the latter continues to fall below the level L as shown in Fig. 2 until the valve35 opens a connection from the chamber 36 through the upper portion of the boring 34 to the open air. The suction or pressure in the pneumatic pipe 38 ceases then and the switch interrupts the ignition circuit of the motor and the motor begins to stop. The switch A is preferably mounted on the dash-board of the automobile and the operator can therefore, immediately see on the position of the movable member of the switch the reason why the motor begins to stop. If the operator.

now immediately operates the Bowden wire 42 the ball 39 is pushed up to its seat so that it closes the communication to the open air whereby thevacuum in the chamber 36 is restored and is again propagated through the pipe 38 to the switch A. The latter thus againcloses the ignition circuit and the motor continues to run.

If, however, the operator fails to alter the position of the ball 39 until the motorhas stopped the only difference will be that he must start the motor in the usual way after the ball 39 has been pushed up to its seat. The operator knows now how long he can go with the remaining fuel and has only to go to the next gasolene station for refilling his main tank. lVhen the main tank has been filled and the auxiliary tank 31 again operates normally the float 56 raises to the level H whereby the ball 39 is again pushed down into the boring 4-1, the device being thus again ready for operation without any further action of the operator.

What I claim is:

1. Fuel controlling device for internal combustion engines, comprising an auxiliary tank through which the fuel supplied to the engine is passed, a pneumatic conduit, a valve in said conduit, means in the tank for operating said valve when the fuel in said tank sinks below a predetermined level, and an electric switch operated by an alteration of the pressure in the pneumatic conduit and adapted to indicate said alteration.

2. Fuel controlling device for internal combustion engines, comprising an auxiliary tank through which the fuel supplied to the engine is passed. a pneumatic conduit, a valve in said conduit, means in the tank for operating said valve when the fuel in said tank sinks below a predetermined level, and means operated by an alteration of the pressure in the pneumatic conduit and adapted to influence the running of the engine.

3. Fuel controlling device for internal combustion engines, comprising an auxiliary tank through Which the fuel supplied to the engine is passed, a vacuum conduit, a valve in said conduit, means in the tank for operating said valve when the fuel in the tank sinks below a predetermined level, means operated by an alteration of the pressure in the acuum conduit and adapted to influence the running of the engine, and means for restoring the vacuum in the vacuum conduit.

4-. Fuel controlling device for internal combustion engines, comprising an auxiliary tank through which the fuel supplied to the engine is passed, a pneumatic conduit, a branch on said conduit to the open air, a valve in said branch, means in the tank for operating the valve when the fuel in said tank sinks below a predetermined level, means operated by an alteration of the pres sure in the pneumatic conduit and adapted to influence the running of the engines, a second valve in said branch adapted to be opened by actuation from the first-mentioned valve, and manually operated means for closing said second valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name.

JOHN GUSTAF ARTBERG. 

